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Curves Ahead!
Surviving – and Helping – Your Preteen's Body Image
By Sue Marquette Poremba
For example, Nichter says that gaining weight is a normal part of adolescence. "In fact, girls need to gain the extra weight in order to be able to menstruate," she says. Nichter goes on to explain that parents often think their daughters are getting fat and tease them because of the "chubbiness," when in reality the girls are developing their curves. This natural change is looked at as negative and something the girl must either change or feel uncomfortable about, but it should be supported as a positive, natural change.
Early bloomers and late bloomers each have unique challenges, both within their own self-image and in the way they view others. Late bloomers often feel embarrassed by their "childish" body or frustrated because they haven't "caught up" to their peers. Maureen Busch of Stow, Mass., says that her athletic daughter is aware that her small stature is a problem on the soccer field. "Coaches and evaluators have a tendency to pay less attention to her because she is so much smaller than the other girls, so they assume she can't keep up with the taller girls," Busch says.
Late blooming boys also feel self-conscious, largely because society values tall and bigger-sized males. Even though the kids may not want to believe it (or hear it), the parents' best defense here is to remind their late bloomer that they will grow and develop while listening to – and not dismising – their preteen's feelings.